America is having to grapple with yet another school shooting. The most recent one transpired Wednesday morning at East High School in Denver.
At least two school faculty members were shot by a male student who fled the scene.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said that one of the faculty members is in stable condition, while the other is in critical condition.
It appears that no students were shot.
The student suspected in the shooting, who is under 18, was under a school safety plan in which he was patted down each day, Chief Thomas said. During Wednesday’s search, a handgun was found and several shots were fired in an office area in the front of the school, away from other students and faculty/staff, he added.
What makes this horrific event unique from a TV news standpoint is that more than one of the students at the high school is related to Fox News’ Denver-based correspondent Alicia Acuna. Her son, stepsons, and niece were all at the school when the shooting happened. Acuna was able to confirm that they were safe, and then rushed to East High School to report on the injuries, the school’s safety policy, and the search for the suspect.
As America Reports showed a statement from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Acuna suddenly said on air, “my son just came up and I’ve not seen him.” She apologized as the camera showed her son walking up to her. She gave him a big hug and promised him she would wrap up her report shortly.
Acuna continued to report for a few more minutes, and when she finished, co-anchors Sandra Smith and John Roberts wished her family the best and continued to cover the breaking news story.
The incident at East High is the 18th shooting this year at an elementary or secondary school in the U.S. where at least one person was injured or killed, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that keeps track of every instance of gun violence in the U.S. According to CNN, just this week, one student was shot at a high school parking lot in Dallas, and in nearby Arlington, a student was killed and another injured in a shooting outside a high school.